Cigar City El Catador Club Thread

[Jb123]

I've heard this is the last round sadly. Still rumor, but I heard It nonetheless.

Seems like a strange thing to do. That has to be a fairly large money maker!

 

[Doc1]

Seems like a strange thing to do. That has to be a fairly large money maker!

In the grand scheme of things it's probably small potatoes compared to refocusing efforts on an increased distribution network.

 

[Jb123]

True

 

[IndianaJones]

In the grand scheme of things it's probably small potatoes compared to refocusing efforts on an increased distribution network.

This **** is depressing

 

[Beer4B]

In the grand scheme of things it's probably small potatoes compared to refocusing efforts on an increased distribution network.

Not to mention the tasting room numbers have been down, which of course, could easily be fixed if they had anything even decent on tap instead of fruited pilsners and brown ale treatments.

However, they could sell all of these BA stouts out of the tasting room and get more money as people stay for a pint or 3 and buy other stuff. And they also wouldn't have to deal with storing them and their crappy website infrastructure.

Lastly, pretty sure the guy running El Cat recently left CCB, though I could be wrong.

 

[BigGene]

At last weeks Cycle release one of the bartenders was there and we were talking. He said the reason there are no "new" treatments in the tasting room is that the brewers or treatment guys have to use this "OB" software to log every single thing they do. Treatments, small batches and anything else. He said they have to put all the ingredients in and it has to get approved by someone then they can brew it. He said the first few times they did it they got denied so they stopped trying.
apparently its a pain int the ass.

 

[Jb123]

Stop this is making me sad as ****

 

[jdhende]

Not to mention the tasting room numbers have been down, which of course, could easily be fixed if they had anything even decent on tap instead of fruited pilsners and brown ale treatments.

However, they could sell all of these BA stouts out of the tasting room and get more money as people stay for a pint or 3 and buy other stuff. And they also wouldn't have to deal with storing them and their crappy website infrastructure.

Lastly, pretty sure the guy running El Cat recently left CCB, though I could be wrong.

^ I heard it's ending after this round since he left the company as well. Sounds like they have different plans now that Oskar Blues is in the fold.

 

[Corbot_3000]

BA Raspberry Halo label was approved.

 

[IndianaJones]

^ I heard it's ending after this round since he left the company as well. Sounds like they have different plans now that Oskar Blues is in the fold.

My wife will be happy to hear I won't be able to buy 2x 2-bottle memberships anymore

 

[chongcheesol]

BA Raspberry Halo label was approved.

Man, just imagine if El Catador ends on this bottle

 

[IndianaJones]

Man, just imagine if El Catador ends on this bottle

with the release of Cognac BA Zhukov through the cooler, I'm hoping they'll do the same for BA Rasp Halo

 

[Doc1]

If this is the last round I'd be super surprised if the last bottle wasn't a BA Huna of some sort

 

[chongcheesol]

After that Rum Hunah crowler I'm not even pumped for a Hunah variant. Combine that with the fact that DB Hunah has had issues with peanut flavors as well. Hoping DB Zhukov didn't pick up any peanut from the rum barrels.

 

[BigGene]

Assuming 3000 members x $150 per (no real number on how many members have 2 bottles memberships) = $450,000 per edition. x 3 per year $1.35M in interest free loans.

I really don't see them stopping the club as it would put a dent in the operating income for them.
I am sure there is a hefty profit in this club for them.

 

[BigGene]

After that Rum Hunah crowler I'm not even pumped for a Hunah variant. Combine that with the fact that DB Hunah has had issues with peanut flavors as well. Hoping DB Zhukov didn't pick up any peanut from the rum barrels.

Rum Huna was a treatment and did not spend any time in actual barrels. They used the spinbot 3000. The made 2 kegs. One had an issue the other was glorious.

I would have to assume for a wide scale 5k bottle release they would be using actual barrels.

 

[Beer4B]

Assuming 3000 members x $150 per (no real number on how many members have 2 bottles memberships) = $450,000 per edition. x 3 per year $1.35M in interest free loans.

I really don't see them stopping the club as it would put a dent in the operating income for them.
I am sure there is a hefty profit in this club for them.

Why would it put a dent? They can continue to brew and price the beers the same but just sell them through their coolers.

They would actually make more money as they get hit with traffic and many stay for a round and buy something else to-go.

Not to mention they wouldn't have to bother with their online issues and management system, storing of bottles, etc.

 

[IndianaJones]

Why would it put a dent? They can continue to brew and price the beers the same but just sell them through their coolers.

They would actually make more money as they get hit with traffic and many stay for a round and buy something else to-go.

Not to mention they wouldn't have to bother with their online issues and management system, storing of bottles, etc.

Playing devil's advocate here, but you're assuming that each beer they put in the cooler will sell out, or at least sell enough to match what was purchased by the El Cat members. Do you really think Dis Legomemnon would have a line to buy it out of the cooler?

 

[BigGene]

Why would it put a dent? They can continue to brew and price the beers the same but just sell them through their coolers.

They would actually make more money as they get hit with traffic and many stay for a round and buy something else to-go.

Not to mention they wouldn't have to bother with their online issues and management system, storing of bottles, etc.

Min of $1.3M in INTEREST FREE loans. That was ECC is. For people to stay and drink in the Taproom after a bottle release they would have to actually have something on tap that is worth drinking. Last few times I have gone, I have picked up my ECC looked at the tap list and left to go to AC.

 

[Beer4B]

Playing devil's advocate here, but you're assuming that each beer they put in the cooler will sell out, or at least sell enough to match what was purchased by the El Cat members. Do you really think Dis Legomemnon would have a line to buy it out of the cooler?

I'll continue with the Devil's advocate myself:

Do you really think they would brew 3,000+ bottles of Dis Legomemnon (or that Oskar Blues would approve it) if they weren't pre-paid for?

 

[IndianaJones]

I'll continue with the Devil's advocate myself:

Do you really think they would brew 3,000+ bottles of Dis Legomemnon (or that Oskar Blues would approve it) if they weren't pre-paid for?

Doubtful, but then again, I would have never brewed it to begin with, ECC or not. So it doesn't seem like I have any real insight into why they make the beers they do

 

[Beer4B]

Min of $1.3M in INTEREST FREE loans. That was ECC is. For people to stay and drink in the Taproom after a bottle release they would have to actually have something on tap that is worth drinking. Last few times I have gone, I have picked up my ECC looked at the tap list and left to go to AC.

Look I get it, I really do. And I totally agree on their typically crappy tap list. I just think the "Interest free loan" is a bit overstated for a brewery of CCB's size with Fireman Capital's backing. $1.3 (if you ignore all the costs of barrels and brewing the El Cat beers) is hardly a line item for CCB's growth strategy right now.

 

[Beer4B]

Doubtful, but then again, I would have never brewed it to begin with, ECC or not. So it doesn't seem like I have any real insight into why they make the beers they do

Hah, I think we all can agree and cheers to that! The El Catador program has always been an experimental program that they could get away with. But this last round took a while to sell the open slots for that reason. They would surely need to do a little better to sell 3,000 bottles at the prices they are asking though, agreed.

Edit: also of note, with any marketing at all CCB gets a solid line for plenty of mediocre beers. The entire Grove series would sell out within 36 hrs with it dropping silently. So these days with the growing masses of rare beer chasers? I don't know, maybe? It's sad either way.

 

[IndianaJones]

Anyone know of Cognac Zhukov is still in the cooler? Anyone willing to gpiufmb? Can return the favor for Texas brews

 

[gunhaver1]

Rum Huna was a treatment and did not spend any time in actual barrels. They used the spinbot 3000. The made 2 kegs. One had an issue the other was glorious.

I would have to assume for a wide scale 5k bottle release they would be using actual barrels.

now i can't speak to anything that's happened there since i was canned but the original plan for the last DBH release was to have bottles of DBH as a guaranteed bottle for that club, plus sell extras of Rum, Brandy AND DBH to members. but the Rum version tasted like boiled peanut hell, and the plan was revised to blend as little of the Rum as possible with the Brandy to make DBH without ruining it. of course, the peanut quality still came through, even with extensive Spinbotting with all of the Hunahpu's treatments

instead of dumping the remaining Rum Hunahpu's (and instead of leaving it in barrels), they kegged all of it flat and put it aside. the plan (then) was to let it mellow out for a bit and then see what would happen. last thing i remember was working on a Rum BA Ghost of Hunahpu's label since the peppers would mask any of those unpleasant peanut flavors

again, i'm not sure what happened to those kegs but i wouldn't be surprised if a few of them were used for that crowler batch

 

[Doc1]

now i can't speak to anything that's happened there since i was canned but the original plan for the last DBH release was to have bottles of DBH as a guaranteed bottle for that club, plus sell extras of Rum, Brandy AND DBH to members. but the Rum version tasted like boiled peanut hell, and the plan was revised to blend as little of the Rum as possible with the Brandy to make DBH without ruining it. of course, the peanut quality still came through, even with extensive Spinbotting with all of the Hunahpu's treatments

instead of dumping the remaining Rum Hunahpu's (and instead of leaving it in barrels), they kegged all of it flat and put it aside. the plan (then) was to let it mellow out for a bit and then see what would happen. last thing i remember was working on a Rum BA Ghost of Hunahpu's label since the peppers would mask any of those unpleasant peanut flavors

again, i'm not sure what happened to those kegs but i wouldn't be surprised if a few of them were used for that crowler batch

I miss you.

 

[caffeineTX]

im praying that ba raspberry halo isn't on the list.

 

[BigGene]

im praying that ba raspberry halo isn't on the list.

Oh it is.... That label is approved and one of the employees i spoke with said it is in barrels. They are just as disappointing that its being released as most of us. He did say they made a RH batch just for the barrels. So maybe it is less medicinal. (the employee used to be very tight lipped but they dont care anymore as they are actively looking for a job at another brewery) So I tend to believe them.

 

[gunhaver1]

if it's anything how they do Bolita, they probably did a much heartier recipe with a higher gravity for the BA Halo so it would do well in barrels. my guess is it'll be very different than the non-BA version. the people there in charge of such things aren't dumb and will want to make this batch 10x better than the non-BA version

 

[IndianaJones]

Bourbon Barrel Raspberry Halo is the 4th bottle, ready for pickup